Mechanism and method for producing elastic fabric



Aug. 12, 1930. .1. v. MOORE 1,772,957

MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELASTIC FABRIC Original Filed March1, 1929 Innwm Patented Aug. 12, T2301 JOHN V. MOORE, OF PAW'I'UCKET,RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MOORE FABRIC COM- PANY, OF PAWTUGKET, RHODEISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND 9K; a unf t..- Origmal applicationfiled March 1, 1929, Serial No. 343,662. Divided and this applicationfiled Mare 23',

MECHANISM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELASTIC FABRIC 1930. Serial This is adivision of my application, Serial No. 343,662, filed by me March 1,1929.

This invention relates to the production of curvilinear elastic fabricand more particu- .ings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofportions of a narrow fabric loom; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a modified warp beam.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown portions of a narrow fabric loomincluding a breast beam 10, a lay 11 having guiding blocks 12 in whichthe usual shuttles are reciprocated, a reed 13, a plurality of harnesses14, a warp guide-roll 15 at the rear of the harnesses, and an assemblyreed l6, preferably mounted above the guide-roll 15. The reed 13 ispreferably graduated with the dents more closely together toward theleft hand end of the reed, as viewed in the drawing Groups of elasticwarp threads W are wound on sectional warp beams 20, mounted forindependent rotation and separately tensioned by friction devices 22, ofwhich one only is shown. It will be understood, however, that one suchdevice is provided for. each warp beam 20.

The warps W pass fronr the beams 20 over an elevated guide-bar,24 andthence to the assembly reed 16. Binder warps B are wound on a singlecylindrical warp beam 30 mounted The woven fabric-F passes over thebreast the take-up roll 40 and the fabric passes from the roll 42 to aconical cloth roll 44. A conical guide-roll 46 may be provided on thebreast beam 10.

The method of production of curvilinear elastic fabric by use of themechanism described is as follows:

The woven fabric is drawn downward bythe conical take-up roll 40, butthe non-elastic binder warp threads B are supplied from the cylinderwarp beam 30. The joint efiect is to tension the binder warps increasingtowards the large end of the take-up roll 40, leaving the binder warpstoward the smaller end relatively slack.

The elastic warp threads W are woven under relatively heavy butsubstantially uniform tension, which tension is maintained uniformduring the weaving, as the warp beams are mounted to rotateindependently and will let off a greater length of warp toward the sideof the fabric corresponding to the larger end of the take-up roll 40.

The more tightly the binder warps are tensioned, the morefirmly'theybind the elastic warps. The more tightly the elastic warpsare bound into the fabric, the less they are able to contract when thefabric is released from the weaving tension.

Consequently the edge-of the fabric where the binder warps areundergreater tension and more tightly woven will be longer upon releasethan the edge of the fabric where the binder warps are relatively slacktensioned. The fabric will thus assume a curvilinear shape, with thelong edge of the fabric towards the larger end of the take-up roll 40.

The results thus far described could be attained with a reed of uniformspacing, but the curvilinear effect is increased by use of the graduatedreed 13, which crowds the warp threads moreclosely together at the longedge of the fabric, thus increasing the close binding of the elasticwarps and still further reducing the relative contraction thereof at thelong edge. I

\ If still further curvature is desired, a slightly tapered war beam 60(Fig. 2) may be substituted for the straight warp beam '30 shown inFig. 1. If the larger end of the tively greater length of nonelasticbinder warp'beanrfiO is placed at the t, or t ward the short edge of thewoven c, the :i acl' ness of the binder warps on the short edge. will beaccentuated and a sh i'ZIQQI curvature will be secured.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. Mechanism for producingpiece of curvilinear elastic fabric comprising a plurality of sectionalwarp beams supplying elastic warp threads to separate adj ilCCllbparallel portions of said piece of fabric, said warp beams beingindependently rotatable and separately retar d, a conical talre-upmechanism for the woven fabric by which one edge of said woven fabric istaken up faster and is longer than the other edge portion, and storagemeans from which non-clastic binder warps are drawn, said storage andtake-up means cooperating to provide a relawarps per unit of edge lengthof woven fabric at-the short edge of said fabric and a relatively lesslength at the long edge.

2. Mechanism for producing a piece of curvilinearclastic fabriccomprising a pinrality of sectional warp beams supplying elastic warpthreads to separate adjacent parallel portions of said piece of fabric,said warp beams being independently rotatable and separately retarded, asingle warp beam supplying non-elastic binder warps to the full width ofsaid piece offabric, weaving mechanism, and take-up means including aconical roll for taking up the woven fabric, said single warp beam beingof no greater diameter at the large end of said conical takeuproll thanis the opposite end of said warp beam, whereby proportionately lessbinder warp relative to the periphery of the take-up roll-is supplied atthe larger end of said take-up roll.

3.'Mechanism for producing a piece of curvilinear elastic fabriccomprising a plurality of sectional warp beams supplying elastic warpthreads to separate adjacent parallel portions of said piece of fabric,means to separately but uniformly retard the rotation of said beamsections, a single cylindrical warp beam supplying non-elastic binderwarps to the full widtlrofsaid-piece of fabric, means to retard therotation of said single beam, weaving mechanism, and a conical take-uproll effective to take-up the the; fabric which is taken up more slowlyas to the edge portion which is taken up more rapidly.

6. The method of weaving curvilinear elastic fabric which consists insupplyin. rubber warp threads of substantially uni orm diameter andunder substantially uniform tension, supplying non-elastic warp threadsat a uniform rate of feed throughout the width of the fabric, insertingweft, and taking up the woven fabric faster at one edge than at theother, greater shrinkage of the rubber warp threads occurring at theshort edge of the fabric, y

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

woven fabric at a rate gradually increasing from one edge to the otherthereof.

4-. Mechanism for producing a piece of curvilinear elastic fabriccomprising means to supply a plurality of rubber warp threads undersubstantially uniform tension, means to take-up the woven fabric at arate increasing from one edge to the other of the woven

